On the Yahara partners with organizations around the Madison area that share our vision and acknowledge the importance of nature, wellness, and self-care. Together, we are committed to bringing you special programs and workshops that will help you connect with yourself, nature, and your writing.
Here is everything that we have coming up. As we make new partnerships, we will continue to add events so make sure to bookmark this page and check back often!
**Update: Please note that due to COVID-19, many of our events will be postpone. We will try to update dates as soon as possible, but please check with us if you have questions about the scheduling of an specific event.**
Urban Nature Appreciation
Date: April 26, 2020
Time: 2PM
Location: Middleton Public Library
Description: The urban nature appreciation class takes its inspiration from The Nature Fix, which “uncovers the powers of the natural world to improve health, promote reflection and innovation, and strengthen relationships.” In our ever-urbanizing culture, we increasingly need to find our nature fixes right out the backdoor, in city parks, or at our urban conservancies such as Pheasant Branch. We will offer a guide of practices for re-visualizing nature writing as an emerging new mode of appreciation for the natural world that surrounds us in the city and for the health benefits that result in this interaction. We will seek ways to experience and write about those transformative encounters between humans and nature.
Register for free: Click here to register or call 608-827-7402. This workshop is taught by Troy Hess from On the Yahara Writing Center and it’s a part of Middleton Public Library and Friends of Pheasant Branch Conservancy’s Explore Nature Series, a year-long series celebrating the Friends of Pheasant Branch Conservancy’s 25th anniversary.
Mary Oliver and the Art of Observation in Nature
Date: May 17, 2020
Time: 2PM
Location: Common Ground Cafe, Middleton
Description: The Mary Oliver appreciation class takes its inspiration from The Nature Fix, which “uncovers the powers of the natural world to improve health, promote reflection and innovation, and strengthen relationships.” Mary Oliver might be accurately considered the most prolific and widely read American nature poet of any generation. This highly readable and accessible poet never ceases to amaze, inform and ultimately invite readers into the natural world. As we read Oliver, we frequently find ourselves in the middle of a dynamic natural landscape that depicts a transformative moment of revelation in which we come to perceive a deeper connection to our surroundings.
Register for free: Visit www.midlibrary.org/events and find the event on the calendar or call 608-827-7402. This workshop is taught by Troy Hess from On the Yahara Writing Center and it’s a part of Middleton Public Library and Friends of Pheasant Branch Conservancy’s Explore Nature Series, a year-long series celebrating the Friends of Pheasant Branch Conservancy’s 25th anniversary.
Kids Create: Watershed of Words Postcard Poem
Date: September 27, 2020
Time: 2PM
Location: Common Ground Cafe, Middleton
Description: The kids create class takes its inspiration from The Nature Fix, which “uncovers the powers of the natural world to improve health, promote reflection and innovation, and strengthen relationships.” Kids and parents or grandparents alike find wonder and inspiration on a short walk along the Pheasant Branch trail, then turn their observations to a two-sided postcard – one side artful creation of the watershed, the other side a river poem. Send these postcards to family or friends or enter into our Pheasant Branch Watershed of Words contest!
Register for free: Visit www.midlibrary.org/events and find the event on the calendar or call 608-827-7402. This workshop is taught by Troy Hess from On the Yahara Writing Center and it’s a part of Middleton Public Library and Friends of Pheasant Branch Conservancy’s Explore Nature Series, a year-long series celebrating the Friends of Pheasant Branch Conservancy’s 25th anniversary.
Nature Memories
Date: October 18, 2020
Time: 2PM
Location: Middleton Public Library
Description: The kids create class takes its inspiration from The Nature Fix, which “uncovers the powers of the natural world to improve health, promote reflection and innovation, and strengthen relationships.” Many of us have experienced a variety of natural encounters in our lifetime. Going back through our memory files and re-telling our stories or describing our impressions can have similar effects on our overall well-being as nature experience itself. In this class, we will start by talking through some of these more memorable moments, or bring in photographs, then choose our appropriate form of writing to share.
Register for free: Visit www.midlibrary.org/events and find the event on the calendar or call 608-827-7402. This workshop is taught by Troy Hess from On the Yahara Writing Center and it’s a part of Middleton Public Library and Friends of Pheasant Branch Conservancy’s Explore Nature Series, a year-long series celebrating the Friends of Pheasant Branch Conservancy’s 25th anniversary.
